to figure out why she believed differently. And how she’d reached that conclusion. “And just how do we know that?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Ach, I’m not going to spell out all the reasons. You know them better than I do, anyway.”
***
She didn’t want to see him leave to go visit Rachel or whoever happened to be his girl-of-the-day. And, if they lived under the same roof, he’d never get around to asking her out again.
Not that she planned on accepting another ride home from singing, anyway.
She’d just like to be asked.
Joshua picked up his empty mug, glanced inside, and strode over to the stove. He lifted the teakettle and refilled it, then walked back to the table, picked up his used tea bag, and dunked it into the hot water. “Perhaps, you’re the one who doesn’t want me.”
He thought he was a mind reader, did he? She gazed at his tea bag, floating on the surface of the water in his mug, and felt a sudden kinship with it. She was in hot water, too.
“After all, we both know that you’re Luke’s girl,” Joshua added.
She couldn’t identify the tone in his voice. Something dark. She shuddered. “I’m as much Luke’s girl as I am yours.” Translation: Not at all. She glanced up at Joshua, and something flashed across his face. Pain? He winced.
“And that’s why the Schwartz family has your upcoming wedding all planned out, ain’t so?”
The way he said it made it sound like impending doom. As if marrying Luke would prove fatal.
Maybe it would.
There was no “maybe” about it. Not with Luke’s drinking. His sudden bouts of violence. His hot temper. Anybody else would be a better choice.
But no one else wanted her.
Joshua stepped nearer, just enough to cause her slight discomfort, but not close enough to be in her face. “Maybe that’s why Luke felt the need to warn me to stay away from you.”
Annie caught her breath. “But…but things have changed. Luke left. I have nein guarantee he’ll stay. And I’m…I’m….” And she was attracted to Joshua.
“Maybe it’d do you both gut if I did move in here,” Joshua mused. “Luke wouldn’t presume to tell me where to go, what to do, who I can or can’t see. And you would see that there are men other than Luke.”
She knew there were other men. The problem was, they didn’t notice her.
His comment the night of the singing about being “the thorn in her side” came to mind. He was more right than he knew. Anger flooded through her. “You just think you’re God’s gift to women, ain’t so, Joshua Esh? Kum down here to Missouri, and you’ve got all the girls eating out of your hand—all except for me—and you just can’t stand that. I wish you’d go back to Pennsylvania.” Realizing she’d raised her voice, she snapped her mouth shut. Mamm was in the next room, and she wouldn’t tolerate her being unkind.
His jaw clenched tight, and Annie could see he was trying hard not to bark back. After a moment, he spun on his heel, leaving his steeping tea on the table, and headed outside. “Tell your daed I’ll be in the shop,” he said without turning around.
Annie sighed. Her ugly attitude had surfaced, much to her chagrin. She had to face facts. She wanted Joshua to stay with her family—she liked his looks and enjoyed having him around—but, at the same time, she didn’t want him here, since he wasn’t for her. He’d been like a wasp invading a beehive right from the start.
She wished he’d get on the next bus out of town.
On second thought, she wished he’d come back inside and…what? Declare his undying love for her? After the showdown they’d just had, that was the last thing she ought to expect.
Tears burning her eyes, she reached down and picked up the wrapper from Joshua’s tea bag. Vanilla coconut. So, he liked dessert teas? She thought she was the only one. She crumpled the bag in her
She waved her hand dismissively. “Ach, I’m not going to spell out all the reasons. You know them better than I do, anyway.”
***
She didn’t want to see him leave to go visit Rachel or whoever happened to be his girl-of-the-day. And, if they lived under the same roof, he’d never get around to asking her out again.
Not that she planned on accepting another ride home from singing, anyway.
She’d just like to be asked.
Joshua picked up his empty mug, glanced inside, and strode over to the stove. He lifted the teakettle and refilled it, then walked back to the table, picked up his used tea bag, and dunked it into the hot water. “Perhaps, you’re the one who doesn’t want me.”
He thought he was a mind reader, did he? She gazed at his tea bag, floating on the surface of the water in his mug, and felt a sudden kinship with it. She was in hot water, too.
“After all, we both know that you’re Luke’s girl,” Joshua added.
She couldn’t identify the tone in his voice. Something dark. She shuddered. “I’m as much Luke’s girl as I am yours.” Translation: Not at all. She glanced up at Joshua, and something flashed across his face. Pain? He winced.
“And that’s why the Schwartz family has your upcoming wedding all planned out, ain’t so?”
The way he said it made it sound like impending doom. As if marrying Luke would prove fatal.
Maybe it would.
There was no “maybe” about it. Not with Luke’s drinking. His sudden bouts of violence. His hot temper. Anybody else would be a better choice.
But no one else wanted her.
Joshua stepped nearer, just enough to cause her slight discomfort, but not close enough to be in her face. “Maybe that’s why Luke felt the need to warn me to stay away from you.”
Annie caught her breath. “But…but things have changed. Luke left. I have nein guarantee he’ll stay. And I’m…I’m….” And she was attracted to Joshua.
“Maybe it’d do you both gut if I did move in here,” Joshua mused. “Luke wouldn’t presume to tell me where to go, what to do, who I can or can’t see. And you would see that there are men other than Luke.”
She knew there were other men. The problem was, they didn’t notice her.
His comment the night of the singing about being “the thorn in her side” came to mind. He was more right than he knew. Anger flooded through her. “You just think you’re God’s gift to women, ain’t so, Joshua Esh? Kum down here to Missouri, and you’ve got all the girls eating out of your hand—all except for me—and you just can’t stand that. I wish you’d go back to Pennsylvania.” Realizing she’d raised her voice, she snapped her mouth shut. Mamm was in the next room, and she wouldn’t tolerate her being unkind.
His jaw clenched tight, and Annie could see he was trying hard not to bark back. After a moment, he spun on his heel, leaving his steeping tea on the table, and headed outside. “Tell your daed I’ll be in the shop,” he said without turning around.
Annie sighed. Her ugly attitude had surfaced, much to her chagrin. She had to face facts. She wanted Joshua to stay with her family—she liked his looks and enjoyed having him around—but, at the same time, she didn’t want him here, since he wasn’t for her. He’d been like a wasp invading a beehive right from the start.
She wished he’d get on the next bus out of town.
On second thought, she wished he’d come back inside and…what? Declare his undying love for her? After the showdown they’d just had, that was the last thing she ought to expect.
Tears burning her eyes, she reached down and picked up the wrapper from Joshua’s tea bag. Vanilla coconut. So, he liked dessert teas? She thought she was the only one. She crumpled the bag in her
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